One sister cooks it, the other grows it. Pretty handy, right? Mogau and Mosa Seshoene bring garden and kitchen together, proving that when sisters team up, good things are bound to happen.
There are few things that bring families together quite like food. A table fills, someone arrives with a dish they just quickly made, another brings something from the garden, and before long everyone is eating, talking and going back for seconds.
For Chef Mogau Seshoene, better known as The Lazy Makoti, food has always been about much more than what ends up on the plate. It is heritage, family, memories, celebration and connection. This Garden Day, she is embracing the simple pleasure of all of it.
“Garden Day is a beautiful reminder to pause and appreciate the labour of love that goes into growing food. My fondest memories are simply being outdoors with family, gathering fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden, and sharing a sun-soaked meal together.”
A TASTE OF HOME
Mogau’s connection to food began long before The Lazy Makoti became a household name. Growing up, food was part of the rhythm of family life, particularly those big Sunday lunches where there was always enough to feed whoever happened to arrive.
Those memories continue to influence the way she thinks about cooking. “South African food is about warmth, heritage and bringing people together. It’s deeply rooted in community.”
For Mogau, some ingredients deserve more attention in modern kitchens, particularly those that have been part of our food heritage for generations. Morogo, or wild spinach, sorghum and traditional root vegetables are among her favourites.
“They are packed with nutrition and connect us directly to our roots.”
FROM THE GARDEN TO THE KITCHEN
Spring naturally brings a lighter, fresher mood to Mogau’s cooking. Think colourful salads, crisp vegetables, grilled proteins and plenty of fresh herbs. At the moment, berries are high on her list.
“I’m loving fresh berries in everything from salads to desserts,” she says, although she is already looking ahead to Summer and one particularly nostalgic treat … her grandmother’s famous mango atchaar.
Her appreciation for seasonal produce has grown over the years. Having access to fresh ingredients has encouraged Mogau to embrace waiting for produce to be at its best rather than expecting everything to be available year-round.
It has also made the connection between growing and cooking feel increasingly personal. Her sister, Mosa Seshoene, shares a love of growing, and fresh herbs and seasonal produce have found their way into Mogau’s kitchen.
And you don’t need a sprawling garden to experience that feeling. A few pots on a patio, balcony or windowsill can bring a little of the garden into your kitchen. Mogau’s advice is simple, start with herbs you actually use and enjoy having them within easy reach.
THE LEAP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
It is hard to imagine The Lazy Makoti without the confidence and warmth Mogau brings to it today. But her career didn’t begin in a chef’s jacket.
Leaving the corporate world to pursue a career centred around food was a leap of faith and one that could easily have gone the other way.
Instead, it became the beginning of something much bigger.
“Taking a leap of faith is terrifying, but staying where you don’t belong is worse.”
It’s a line that says a lot about Mogau’s journey. What began as a passion grew into a food brand, cooking school, cookbook collection and entrepreneurial career.
Looking back, she says she has gained confidence, but also a deeper respect for simplicity. And then there is patience.
“Outside the kitchen, I’ve learned to embrace patience, a lesson reinforced by watching my sister farm.”
KEEP IT SIMPLE
If there is one thing Mogau has consistently shown us, it is that cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating. You don’t need complicated ingredients or hours in the kitchen to make something delicious. Sometimes the best meals are the simplest ones, made with good ingredients and shared with people you love.
Ask her for her ideal relaxed lunch and the answer is almost a picture … bright seasonal salads, fresh berries, crisp local vegetables, grilled proteins and herbs such as basil and mint.
Her advice for bringing more joy into our kitchens this spring follows the same philosophy.
“Keep it simple, intentional and seasonal.”
Bring a little of the garden indoors with a few potted herbs on your windowsill and let the ingredients do the work.
“Cooking shouldn’t feel like a chore … it should be a celebration of fresh, local ingredients enjoyed with the people you love.”
WHAT’S COOKING NEXT?
One of Mogau’s biggest dreams brings together food, growing, learning and community.
She and her sister have imagined a farm-to-table restaurant and studio space where guests could pick fresh ingredients before heading into the kitchen to turn them into a meal.
“Our ultimate dream collabs are to open a farm-to-table restaurant and studio space. Imagine guests picking their own fresh ingredients straight from the garden beds, and then joining me in the kitchen studio to turn those hand-picked crops into a beautiful, shared meal.”
Watch this space, indeed.
Grow something. Cook something. Invite people over. Put something colourful in the middle of the table. And don’t wait for a special occasion to enjoy it.
Because if The Lazy Makoti has taught us anything, it’s that good food doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does deserve to be shared.
Beetroot and fig salad
You’ll need: 500ml rocket; 250ml cooked cubed beetroot; 3 or 4 figs, quartered; 60ml walnuts; 1 round circle of feta
For the dressing: 30ml olive oil; 15ml balsamic vinegar; 15ml honey; salt and pepper to taste
To make:
Wash the rocket well, pat dry and place in a serving bowl.
Scatter over the beetroot, figs and nuts.
Crumble the feta over. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over the salad.
Details: Follow @thelazymakoti on Facebook and Insta.
Think you need a huge garden, loads of time and a magical touch to grow something? Think again. Mosa Seshoene, founder of Farminist, is on a mission to make gardening feel a whole lot less intimidating and a lot more doable.
Long before Mosa Seshoene was creating gardens for other people, she was a little girl in Limpopo, sitting beside her grandmother and learning the magic of a seed. Her grandmother would harvest seeds from overripe tomatoes, dry them and plant them in the fields. Months later, Mosa would return during the school holidays to discover that those tiny seeds had become ripe tomatoes, ready for the picking.
“That sense of pride and satisfaction, seeing a tiny seed turn into food on the table, never left me.”
It’s a lovely memory, and one that feels rather fitting for someone whose own life has been about planting little ideas and watching them grow. Today, Mosa is the founder and managing director of Farminist, a business and educational platform making farming and gardening feel a whole lot more accessible.
Her mission? To show people that you don’t need acres of land, expensive equipment or a magical ability to keep plants alive to grow something yourself. In fact, she has a message for anyone who has ever announced, “I don’t have green fingers.”
“Everyone has green hands!”
For Mosa, it comes down to learning the basics, understanding how much sunlight you have, getting your soil right and knowing when and how much to water.
And suddenly, gardening sounds a lot less intimidating.
“If you only grow one herb this season, make it basil! It grows vigorously in warm weather, thrives in pots on sunny windowsills, and elevates everything from fresh salads to pasta sauces.”
GROWING WITH PURPOSE
Agriculture has always been part of Mosa’s story. She comes from a farming family, with her grandfather farming crops and livestock and her uncles continuing the tradition as crop farmers. Her own path, however, took a few turns.
Mosa initially worked as an animal health technician before finding her way back to agriculture and the farming world she knew so well growing up.
“My journey has really been about discovering where I can make the biggest impact. And that’s where Farminist came in.
“What started during lockdown as me sharing a few gardening tips and showing people how to grow things step by step has grown into something much bigger. Today, Farminist includes garden design, gardening lessons, plant maintenance and agricultural consulting.”
The real lightbulb moment came when she realised just how many people wanted to grow their own food but simply didn’t know where to begin.
“So many people have a desire to grow things, but they lack the confidence or think they need green fingers.”
Watching adults and children get excited about growing their first crop of spinach showed her that Farminist could be about much more than plants. It could be about giving people the confidence to grow.
EVERY GARDEN HAS A STORY
When Mosa walks into a new garden, she isn’t immediately thinking about which plants will look prettiest. She looks at the possibilities.
Then come the practical things. Light, soil and available space. But perhaps the most important consideration is the person who will actually live with the garden.
“A successful garden isn’t just about looking pretty or being productive, it’s about how it makes the people using it feel.”
And with a hotter, drier season ahead, there’s a little more to think about than simply choosing what looks good at the nursery.
Mosa’s advice? Think before you plant.
“Start by watching your space. How many hours of sunlight does it actually get? Then look at your soil and give it some love with compost. Finally, consider your water supply and how you’ll keep everything hydrated without wasting precious water.
“Mulch is another Summer essential, helping the soil hold onto moisture, while heat-resilient and water-wise plants can make life considerably easier when temperatures climb.”
Basically, a little planning now can save you from staring sadly at a collection of crispy plants later.
START SMALL
One of Mosa’s biggest pieces of advice for aspiring gardeners is simple. Start small. A balcony can become a mini food garden. A patio can accommodate a few pots. Even a sunny windowsill can produce something useful.
For beginners, she recommends leafy greens such as spinach and forgiving herbs including rosemary, thyme and mint. But if she could convince every household to grow just one thing? Fresh herbs.
“They elevate every meal instantly.”
And her must-grow herb this season is basil.
“If you only grow one herb this season, make it basil! It grows vigorously in warm weather, thrives in pots on sunny windowsills, and elevates everything from fresh salads to pasta sauces.”
Which is good news for anyone who likes the idea of growing their own food but isn’t quite ready to spend Saturday afternoon digging up half the garden.
THE SISTER CONNECTION
For Mosa, growing food has also created a rather lovely connection with her sister, Chef Mogau Seshoene, better known as The Lazy Makoti. The sisters naturally occupy two sides of the same food story.
“I focus on the soil and seed, she brings the ingredient to life on a plate.”
What Mogau wants to cook can influence what Mosa plants, while what is flourishing in Mosa’s garden can inspire what finds its way into Mogau’s kitchen.
One sister grows it. The other cooks it. Simple, really.
And it’s a partnership that has made seasonality feel less like a trendy food word and more like an everyday way of living.
LET IT GROW
Of course, gardening doesn’t always go according to plan. Seeds refuse to germinate. Plants get overwatered. Something that looked perfectly healthy at the nursery mysteriously gives up the moment it arrives home.
Mosa says that’s all part of it.
“Gardening teaches profound patience. You cannot rush a seed; you have to trust the process, embrace failure, and slow down.”
There are lessons in there for all of us. And when it comes to saving money, she has a few tricks too. Propagate plants from cuttings, save your own seeds and make compost from kitchen scraps. No need to make gardening more complicated or expensive than it needs to be.
A GARDEN DAY WORTH CELEBRATING
So, what does Garden Day look like in Mosa’s perfect world? Nothing too complicated.
She imagines stepping outside, putting on a flower crown, spending time with family, harvesting fresh produce and enjoying a relaxed farm-to-table feast while Mogau cooks something delicious.
And perhaps that’s the real beauty of Garden Day. It isn’t about having the biggest, prettiest or most Instagram-worthy garden.
It’s about getting outside, slowing down and celebrating the simple joy of growing something. A pot of basil. A few herbs on a windowsill. Some spinach in a container. A handful of seeds and a little curiosity. Because Mosa knows better than most that you never really know what a tiny seed might become.
Details: Follow @farminist on Facebook and the @farm_minist_ on Insta.
Text: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG. Image:s ADEL FERREIRA.
